78. To continue, the Lord is present with us and united to us through the Word because the Lord is the Word and is virtually talking with us in it. There is also the fact that the Lord is divine truth itself, and that is what the Word is.

We can see from this that the extent to which we understand the Word determines the extent to which the Lord is present with us and at the same time united to us. This is because our understanding of the Word determines the truth we possess, as well as the faith that arises from that truth. Similarly, our understanding of the Word determines the love we have, as well as the way in which we live, which arises from that love. The Lord is present with us when we read the Word; but he is united to us only when we understand what is true from the Word and only in proportion to that understanding; and to the extent that the Lord is united to us the church is within us.

And the church is indeed something within us. The church that is outside us is the church of the many who have the church within them. This is the meaning of what the Lord said to the Pharisees when they asked him when the kingdom of God was coming-“The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). Here the kingdom of God means the Lord, and the church from him.

114. If There Were No Word, No One Would Know about God, Heaven and Hell, Life after Death, and Least of All, about the Lord

THIS follows as a general conclusion from everything that has been said and explained up to this point - that the Word is divine truth itself (§§1-4); the Word is a means of union with heaven’s angels (§§62-69); everywhere in the Word there is a marriage of the Lord and the church and therefore a marriage of goodness and truth (§§80-89); the quality of a church depends on the quality of its understanding of the Word (§§76-79); the Word exists in the heavens as well, and it is the source of angels’ wisdom (§§70-75); there is spiritual light through the Word for nations and peoples outside the church as well (§§104-113); and more. From this we may conclude that if it were not for the Word, no one would have a spiritual understanding. That is, no one would know about God, heaven and hell, and life after death; and there would be absolutely no knowledge about the Lord and about faith in him and love for him. This means there would be no knowledge of redemption, though this is the means to salvation.

The Lord said to his disciples, “Without me you cannot do anything” (John 15:5), and John [the Baptist] said, “People cannot receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven” (John 3:27).